Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-05-12
HONEY BY THE TON.
The Cave OF Sweets That Joseph II.
Haning Discovered in Jersey.

naming Discovered in Jersey.
MoRRIsTowN, n. j., May l.-Joseph
II. Haning, a young farmer living near
LittletOn, is the hero of Morris county
to-day. His discovery of an odd and
wonderful cave full of rich honey Is the
talk of north Jersey. The cave is just
off the main road from Parsipany to
Morris plains. Haning was standing
under the big bluff the other day and
happening to look up perceived a heavy
mass of honey bees thirty feet above
him. A few feet further down the
bluff was another mass of bees. The
two swarms buzzed so loudly that it
sounded as though q high wind was
blowing. 1t did not take Haning long
to perceive that the bees were passing
in and out of huge holes in the rocks,
and his curiosity then turned to excite
ment and he started for some friends
in order to investigate the strange
sight. He got two young farmers and
they went to the top of the rock to see
if they could find an opening. They
had lot of powder with them and at
tempted to blast an opening. Every
time there vas blast millions of angry
bees swarmed out of the recesses of the
rocks, until the farmers, even with bee
hats and thick clothing on, found it
dangerous to proceed.
New plans were then adopted. Lad
ders were brought and charge of
powder was fired into the face of the
rocks, few feet beneath where the
bees settled. Then the explorers went
home and waited until the next after
noon before resuming their search
They discovered that they had made
an opening through shell like wall in
to hollow beyond. A rich stream of
golden fluid was trickling down the
face of the rock. This showed that
some of the honeycombs had been
broken. Birthstone was then pushed
into the hole and ignited. The smoke
soon began to drive out the bees by the
thousands. But the honey could not
he obtained as yet, owing to the hive
of solid rock. Then young Haning
thought of dynamite. He obtained
some cartridges, and the first cartridge
that exploded bored hole in the top
of the rock that revealed the entrance
to what was apparently small but
empty cave. Lights and ropes were
brought and the three farmers de-
seended into an irregularly shaped cave,
the size of an ordinary room. On ali
sides the walls were covered with great
masses of honeycomb several feet thick.
The honey was of various colors and
qualities. 1t had been CLEANED from
the whitest of buckwheat blossoms to-
the reddest clover heads. On several
spots the comb ran back like veins into
the rocks where the bees had filled up
the interstices. The honey, in many
places, was very red and was spoiled
by age and moisture. But in the main
portion of the cave the honey was in
perfect condition.
There was curious feature about |
the deposit. The cave had apparently |
been divided up by several swarms of |
bees, and they had erected barriers be-
tween the territory they had pre-
empted and that of the other swarms.
The barriers were ingeniously construct
ed walls of wax, nearly half an inch
thick. The deposit of honey is very
valuable. Mr.. Haning thinks there are
at least several thousand pounds that
can be removed and sold at good prices.
The three discoverers are keeping
the exact locality of the cave secret !
until they can get rid of the valuable
honey.